Top New Zealand Chardonnay 2012

Light, leesy nose that offers gentle wood spice along with bright notes of crystalline citrus fruit. Right off the bat this shows fine cut on the palate and a wonderfully pure expression of lime fruit accented with a touch of peachy sweetness. This remains very fresh with a lovely, dry fruit character and aromatic notes of acacia on the palate. There’s some dusty limestone on the finish, which shows fine length and firm, clear, notes of lacy fruit recalling crisp white peach, slightly creamy lime pith and a touch of pineapple on the finale. Today I prefer this to the Bannockburn, but it does lack some of that wine’s focus and tension. 93pts